FRED GUARDABASSI All over America, there are people who have, on and off over the years, spent decades in conservative activism. Many of them first became politically active when Barry Goldwater ran for President in 1964. Others were brought into the political arena because of the dynamic conservatism of Ronald Reagan. Thousands of activists, most of them far from the Beltway, still work to promote conservative values and policies. "The Heritage Foundation, Freedom Alliance, Young Americans for Freedom, the Clare Boothe Luce Institute, the Leadership Institute. . .," said Fred Guardabassi, a Ft. Lauderdale conservative activist and philanthropist, in naming some of the conservative organizations with which he has been involved. "I was Ronald Reagan’s campaign chairman in south Florida in 1976 and 1980. I’ve been living here for 37 years. Before that, I lived in Massachusetts. But Massachusetts was a very difficult state to live in for a conservative." Guardabassi was the chairman of Reagan’s Florida ethnic voter campaign committee in 1984. "I visited voter enclaves," he said. "Polish, Italian. . . . It was a privilege to know Ronald Reagan. During the Reagan years, I served on several presidential commissions, working to get his message across and trying to make America the most powerful country in the world." Guardabassi attended the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conference in Paris in 1983 as a delegate and from 1985 to 1992 was chairman of the Maritime Committee for the Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commission. Though part of the effort to celebrate Columbus’ discovery of America, which made possible this country as a nation of immigrants, Guardabassi, like many conservatives, believes that illegal immigration has gotten out of control. "Living in Florida, I see the influx of what are politely called undocumented immigrants," he said. "They start voting almost immediately because all you need is a driver’s license." In staking out his positions, Guardabassi draws on traditional conservative ideas and whoever may be promoting them now. "I support Steve Forbes’ ideas on taxation," he said. "I’m with Pat Buchanan on many sovereignty issues." Guardabassi said that he takes trips to Washington, D.C., to attend conferences and otherwise be involved in what goes on in Washington conservative circles. "I visited Oliver North during a taping," he said. "I enjoy watching ‘War Stories.’ If you’re interested in military history, that’s the show to watch." Guardabassi was an Army intelligence officer assigned to NATO, 1952 to 1954. He said that he feared his adoptive state of Florida may not continue to lean to the right, which could mean greater presidential election troubles for Republicans who already have great difficulty winning two of the nation’s other super-large states, California and New York, as it is. Asked if Florida will continue to be a conservative state, he said, "It’s hard to say because we have so many new arrivals from the Northeast. They live in enclaves in condominiums. Jeb [Bush] did have a strong showing in the latest election. . . . Immigrants, also, to some extent. In Miami, the Cuban-American population is Republican, but other immigrants from Latin countries vote Democratic. The Puerto Ricans here are American citizens." Guardabassi said that he believed that millions of illegal aliens already vote in Florida. "I’m quite convinced of it," he said. In 1994, Guardabassi caused a stir when appointed to Ft. Lauderdale’s Charter Review Board on an interim basis by conservative Democratic Mayor Jim Naugle. Liberal thought police objected to Guardabassi’s outspoken opposition to homosexuality, and the City Commission voted him off the board. Naugle and former Mayor Bob Cox supported Guardabassi, to no avail, according to the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (April 20, 1994). "The mark of a statesman, and you are all statesmen whether you believe it or not, is that after you get in office you can resist government by newspaper, government by columnist," Cox said in defending Guardabassi. Guardabassi had written a letter to a Sun-Sentinel columnist that said about a local political candidate, "A man’s lifestyle and lack of morality have a lot to do with whether he will be a good commissioner. Consider that homosexuals of both sexes—forget the word ‘gay,’ which they have ruined—want to adopt children and raise them in their lifestyle. . . ." These days, said Guardabassi, "I mostly write letters to the editor and politicians. . . . I have been a subscriber to HUMAN EVENTS for 30 years." Mr. Guardabassi may be reached at 915 Middleriver Dr., Suite 421, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 33304.
